Convoy HX 133 was the 133rd of the numbered series of World War II HX convoys of merchant ships from HalifaX to Liverpool. The ships departed Halifax on 16 June 1941,Hague p.127 and were found on 23 June by U-boats of the 1st U-boat Flotilla, operating out of Brest, France. U-boats sank six ships before the convoy reached Liverpool on 3 July. There was strong criticism of the RCN corvette's signalling capabilities as borne out by the number of collisions that occurred.
Ships in the Convoy NameFlagTonnage (GRT)NotesAnadara (1935)8,009Joined ex convoy BHX 133 Royal Canadian NavyEscort 16 Jun – 20 JunEscort 27 JunAtlantic City (1941)5,133Baltara (1918)3,292Bello (1930)6,125Possibly via Convoy BB 41British Progress (1927)4,581British Workman (1922)6,994Brockley Hill (1919)5,297Sunk by SE of Cape Farewell, Greenland. All crew rescued.HMS Celandine (K75)Escort 27 Jun – 30 JunCeronia (1929)4,955Joined ex convoy BHX 133 Royal Canadian NavyEscort – 27 JunCorvetteCity Of Oxford (1926)2,759Joined ex convoy BHX 133, collision 19 Jun, returnedCliona (1931)8,375As station oiler at Reykjavík until April 1942 Royal Canadian NavyEscort 20 Jun – 27 JunColytto (1926)4,408Corbis (1931)8,132Joined ex convoy BHX 133Dalhousie (1940)7,072Debrett (1940)6,2442 passengersDolabella (1939)8,142Returned to Halifax after collision on 19 JunDornoch (1939)5,186Emma Bakke (1929)4,721ReturnedEmpire Granite (1941)8,028Joined ex convoy BHX 133Empire Oil (1941)8,029Empire Salvage (1941) 10,746 Originally the Dutch Papendrecht, requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1941 and renamed Lothringen to support naval operations by the German battleship and cruiser in the Atlantic. Captured the Allies in June 1941 and renamed Empire Salvage.Erviken (1921)6,595Everleigh (1930)5,222Escort 27 Jun – 27 JunSloopEscort 27 Jun – 27 JunCorvetteGlenpark (1939)5,136Capt R Gill CBE RD RNR (Commodore)Grayburn (1938)6,342Sunk by S of Iceland. 35 of her 53 crew lost. Survivors rescued by HMS Arabis, HMT Northern Wave and HMS VioletHartlebury (1934)5,082Havprins (1935)8,066Motor tankerHenry Dundas (1937)10,448Joined ex convoy BHX 133Escort. DestroyerInverilen (1938)9,4563 passengersInverlee (1938)9,158Joined ex convoy BHX 133. Bound for Scapa FlowKongsgaard (1937)9,467Torpedoed amidships by and caught fire on 27 Jun. The crew partially abandoned her, but the remaining crew were able to extinguish the fire and she arrived safely into Belfast on 2 JulLoch Ranza (1934)4,958Lowther Castle (1937)5,171Maasdam (1921)8,812Sunk by S of Iceland. 32 passengers. Only 2 people were lost of the 80 persons on board; rescued by HavprinsMalaya II (1921)8,651Sunk by E of Cape Farewell, Greenland. 41 of 49 crew lost. Survivors rescued by HMS CollingwoodEscort 27 Jun – 30 JunDestroyerHMS MaplinEscortMooncrest (1941)5,202Vice CommodoreNailsea Manor (1937)4,926Returned to St John's, Newfoundland after collisionHMS Nasturtium (K107)Escort 27 Jun – 29 JunCorvetteEscort 27 JunMinesweeperHMS Northern Gem (FY194)EscortASW trawlerHMS Northern Pride (FY105)EscortASW trawlerHMS Northern Wave (FY153)EscortASW trawlerOakworth (1925)4,968 Royal Canadian NavyEscort 20 Jun – 27 JunCorvetteHMCS Ottawa (H60) Royal Canadian NavyEscort 20 Jun – 27 JunDestroyerEscort 23 Jun – 27 JunCorvettePrimero (1925)4,414Joined ex convoy BHX 133, collision 19 Jun, returnedRanda (1930) Canada1,555Straggled 27 Jun, to ReykjavíkEscort 27 Jun – 29 JunDestroyerSalamis (1939)8,286San Delfino (1938)8,072Joined ex convoy BHX 133Saugor (1928)6,3032 passengersHMS Scimitar (H21)Escort 27 Jun – 30 JunScottish Trader (1938)4,016Skeldergate (1930)4,251Returned to Halifax after collision on 19 JunSoløy (1929)4,402Joined ex convoy BHX 133. Sunk by . All 32 crew rescued by Traveller.Southgate (1926)4,862HMS Speedwell (J87)Escort 27 JunMinesweeper Royal Canadian NavyEscort 17 Jun – 20 JunDestroyerSt Rosario (1937)4,312Joined ex convoy BHX 133Stylianos Chandris (1919)6,059ReturnedTibia (1939)10,356Damaged by torpedoTornus (1936)8,054Joined ex convoy BHX 133Traveller (1922)3,963Trefusis (1918)5,299Treworlas (1922)4,692Tricula (1936)6,221Ulysses (1918)2,666Vigrid (1923)4,76510 passengers. Straggler; Sunk by SE of Cape Farewell, Greenland. 28 of 49 people lost.Escort 27 Jun – 30 JunCorvetteVoco (1925)5,090Escort 27 Jun – 30 JunDestroyerWinkleigh (1940)5,468Winsum (1921)3,224HMS Wolfe (F37)Escort 16 Jun – 27 JunZaafaran (1921)1,559Rescue ship
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